A sensitive line of HeLa cells was found to be better than two lines of diploid human embryo-lung (HEL) cells, WI-38 and MRC-5, for the isolation of several serotypes of rhinovirus from experimentally-infected volunteers. Comparative infectivity titrations of three rhinoviruses which were either un-adapted or only partly adapted to tissue culture confirmed the greater sensitivity of the HeLa cells. The substitution of foetal calf serum for non-foetal bovine serum in the tissue culture medium slightly enhanced the sensitivity of the HEL cells to rhino viruses but had no such effect on HeLa cells; HeLa cells nevertheless remained more sensitive than HEL cells. The line of HeLa cells studied merits more general use for the isolation of rhino viruses from clinical specimens.
BrownP. K.,
TyrrellD. A. J.1964; Experiments on the sensitivity of strains of human fibroblasts to infection with rhinoviruses. Br. J. exp. Path 45:571